


Stay

by JustBarryAllen (Cammerel)



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Allen Is A Human Vibrator, Barry is Zoom, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 22:43:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9684794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cammerel/pseuds/JustBarryAllen
Summary: It can't be him. Barry could never become such a monster, he was incapable of it.His heart was too big.





	

Iris held the chains out in front of her, testing them against her knees. She was a fool to beg Zoom to spare Barry's life. But how could she have guessed that he would take her with him when he left? Why would he even bother?

That thought alone birthed more questions than she could even try to answer on her own.

Why did she matter? Why would he listen to her at all? When he had killed so many others before her, before Barry.

He got what he wanted. He didn't need to spare any of them at all. He just as easily could've killed them all in the blink of an eye.

So why didn't he?

She turned when he flew back into the room at super speed, stopping in front of her with a bag in his claws. He threw it down on the bed.

“You need to eat.”

“I'm not hungry,” Iris says and looks away from him.

“You haven't eaten anything in the last two days, now _eat_.”

“Or what?” Iris looks at him coldly, “What are you gonna do if I don't? Hurt me?”

“Iris.”

The way he says her name cuts a tight string inside of her. She knows that tone, she's heard it a thousand times over, in a thousand ways. And there's only one person capable of saying it with such reverence and annoyance.

“Barry?”

She sees his shoulders tense and then he's gone.

He leaves the bag of food and Iris reaches out to shove it away, her heart racing wildly. It can't be him. Barry could never become such a monster, he was incapable of it.

His heart was too big.

* * *

When he comes back later - later in the night, she assumes, but she has no real sense of time from within her cave - he growls in frustration when he sees that she still hasn't eaten anything.

“Iris!”

“I'm not hun-” she stops when he grabs her wrists and she stares at him, stares at the blackness of his eyes, tries to see her Barry in them. But she can't. She can't believe it's him.

His right hand lifts.

“Do it,” she says fearlessly, searching his face, “Hit me, if that's what you're gonna do. But I won't eat.”

He doesn't hit her, though. Instead, his hand cups her jaw. The grip is tight, but not hurtful.

“I could… never hurt you, Iris.”

Iris feels tears build in her eyes, her chest constrict painfully, “I was right… it is you.” She starts to reach up to touch him, but he pulls away, standing back up quickly.

“You need to eat.”

“I will… on one condition,” Iris says, eyes widening when he looks at her coldly.

“You're not in a position to make demands.”

“Neither are you, apparently.”

He's silent for a moment, but he watches her and if he's really Barry then he knows she'll never give up.

“What is your condition?”

Iris motions for him to come closer. He's hesitant, speculative, but he moves finally and she stands carefully from the bed.

“I want to see you.”

“No.”

Iris’s heart races again, her hands shaking, “I wanna see you without the mask, Barry.”

“Barry is dead.”

“No he isn't, you aren't,” Iris insists.

“He's been dead for years.”

“Prove it.”

He starts to step closer to her, but he stops.

“See?” Iris reaches up to touch his mask but he moves out of her reach like a wounded animal, “If Barry was dead, you wouldn't care for me like you do. The Barry I love is in there, I know he is.”

“The Barry you know died when Iris West died.”

Iris feels her heart nearly skip a beat, but she doesn't falter, “I'm sorry you lost her, Barry.”

“Don't call me that.”

“Barry,” Iris moves to him again, unafraid, “I'm here, I'm alive.”

“You're not mine.”

“I am,” Iris insists, “I'm always yours, Barry, no matter what universe, no matter what Earth we're on.”

“Iris.”

“Take off your mask, Barry,” and it sounds more like a complaint than a demand now, like a mother getting onto a child, “Take it off. Let me see your beautiful green eyes.”

“Iris-”

“Do it!”

She can see him falter in surprise, eyes wide.

And then he reaches up and back, peeling off the mask from under the nape of his neck. When he looks at her, her heart breaks for him.

He's pale white, sickly looking, his emerald greens turned a dull, almost colorless jade. He looks like his soul has been shattered into a million pieces.

Iris steps closer to him, reaching up to cup his cheeks, but he's gone again, the bag placed in her hand.

He kept his side of the bargain, so she sits down and eats. And then she cries.

She doesn't know much about what happened to him after his Iris died, but she can only imagine what he's gone through.

Iris never imagined that Barry could become such a thing.

But that's what they say, isn't it? It takes something purely good to make something purely evil.

Iris West never gave up on Barry, she won't give up on him now. She’ll be the one to bring him back.

* * *

He's happy that she's eaten, Iris can tell at once. But then he sets down another bag for her and demands her to eat again.

“Why are you keeping me here?” she asks before he can leave, “If you've truly given up, why take me from him? Why keep me locked up?”

He doesn't answer her, but turns when she tosses the bag of food at his back.

“I'm not eating.”

“You need to eat, Iris.”

Iris laughs at him, “We've been through this. I won't eat, not without something in return.”

“What would you ask of me? I have nothing to give.”

“I want answers, Barry.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Never,” Iris responds firmly, “Not in a million years, not for anyone, not even you. You're Barry, you're my Barry. And I'll love you, I'll always love you, no matter what you've become - no matter what horrible things you've done.”

“You're a foolish girl.”

“And you're a foolish boy,” Iris raises her voice, “An idiot boy, a stupid boy if you think I wouldn't be here, right here, by your side, trying to get through to you.”

He speeds to her, grabbing her by the neck and shoving her against the wall, growling threateningly with his claws to her throat, “Watch your words, little girl.”

Iris smiles softly at him, her hands moving to touch his waist, “You watch them.”

He tenses, but again he doesn't pull away. She can just imagine his mouth forming into a hard line.

“I want answers.”

“One.”

“One,” Iris agrees, caressing the suit, her nails gently scratching the fabric, “Let me see your face again.”

“No.”

Iris smiles and shrugs, “Then I don't eat, big boy. Simple as that.”

“You are becoming an annoyance.”

“And you wouldn't love me any other way, we both know it. So take it off.”

It takes him a while, but he finally does.

Iris stares at him, she doesn't try to force him further, or touch his face again. But she stares for so long that he finally gets impatient.

“What is your question?”

“Okay, fair enough,” Iris breathes, catching it when he looks at her, “Are you from the future of Earth 2? I know Barry here, he's not you. Are you-”

“Yes.”

Simple, short, and then he's gone again.

* * *

Over the next few days, Iris learns many things. She learns that he came back to make his own life on Earth 2 a miserable one, to see Iris again, even from a distance. She learns that he came back shortly after her funeral, that they had had children (he let that one slip out before hurriedly leaving the room).

She doesn't press, she knows he's hurting. But she also decides that she needs to get through to him. She can't have him leaving every time he comes in, there for a second and then gone again.

Iris starts to turn his ‘lair’ into a real home.

She convinces him to bring her things - clothes, shampoos, food she can cook. Her Barry from Earth 1 will eventually find her, she knows it's only a matter of time, but she wishes she could stay and make progress.

Unfortunately, she knows she doesn't have much of it.

Barry stops in for her question, but he stills when he sees her.

She knows she's got his attention, dressed in only a dress shirt and her black panties as she scrambles the eggs.

Instead of acting unaware, she reaches up to get the salt from the cabinet above, unable to reach it, “Hey, could you lend me a-”

He's against her in a second, shoving the salt in her hand, his body pressed to hers.

Iris gasps and hurriedly salts the eggs, stopping long enough to turn back and look at him, his big green eyes watching her, almost looking like they're in pain.

“Thanks, big guy.”

“Your question.”

“Not a question today,” Iris reaches up tentatively, “I wanna touch you.”

He looks at her in terror, for such a tyrant, he still acts as though she's more fearful than he is sometimes. She knows why, she could very easily break him - Hell, she is what had broken him already.

“I can't let you do that.”

“But you want me to,” Iris says confidently, “I wanna touch you, Barry. Let me do it.”

She sees his steely resolve crumbling before her eyes.

“You're eggs.”

“What? Oh shit!” Iris turns to take care of them, pushing them off the burner and dumping them onto a plate, “Alright, sorry about that.”

She turns back to him, observing the red tint to his cheeks and she smiles.

“Are you gonna let me?”

He sighs, but nods shortly.

“Promise you won't leave me.” When he doesn't respond, she insists, “Promise me.”

“I promise.”

Iris reaches up and cups his cheeks, thumbs brushing through his stubble, touching his cheekbones, his eyelashes, his dry lips, the bags under his eyes.

“You're so beautiful, Barry,” she whispers, “On my Earth it took me so long to see that. I feel like I was blind, not seeing it before. But everything about you I'd wanted for so long…”

Despite him not moving out of her touch and zipping away, he doesn’t say anything, just watches her with that cold, steel gaze.

“My Barry,” she continues softly, not taking any offense to his silence.

Her hand moves up to run through his short, messy hair. It’s hard pressed to his head, but it’s still as soft as she remembers. This is when she sees his eyes close in her periphery, he doesn’t lean into the touch but his eyes closing is more than enough for her.

Iris smiles and moves her hands back down, cupping his cheeks again and brushing her thumbs under his eyes, “I love you, Barry Allen.”

He starts to open his mouth, but he stops, his gaze darkening again and he moves back from her, “I’ll be back later tonight.”

“After that, I want some quality time with you.”

He stays, his gaze questioning.

“You’re always here and then you’re not here,” Iris explains, “I wanna be around you, I wanna spend time with you.”

“I didn’t bring you here to socialize.”

And then he’s gone.

* * *

She knew her Barry from Earth 1 would eventually find her, would come and save her. She had been expecting it, though she had hoped for more time. She doesn’t question how he got his speed back, when he blasts into the cave and stops long enough for her to register him.

“No, Barry, don’t-” Iris starts to protest as he picks her up and starts to leave.

He may be fast, but he’s not fast enough, and Zoom meets him at the entrance, blocking the way.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Flash.”

Iris is set back down and she tries to put herself between them, “Don’t, please,” she looks at Zoom, “Please don’t do this, he was just-”

And then they’re at one another.

Others start to come in as well - Cisco and Killer Frost, even Captain Cold.

Iris moves back to get out of the way, she knows that at this point she can’t get through to them. But she can’t lose him, either of him.

It’s hard to keep up with them, but then Zoom is running at normal speed and Cisco blasts him, knocking him back off of his feet as Barry slows, taking off his cowl and stepping over Zoom menacingly.

Iris plants her feet and moves back between them, putting herself in front of Zoom.

“Enough!”

“Iris,” Barry starts to complain, “Don’t do this-”

“No, you don’t do this, Barry,” Iris responds, her tone hard and she sees the needle in his hand, assuming that was how he had slowed Zoom, “Leave him alone.”

“Iris-” Zoom says from behind her.

“You need to leave,” Iris tells Barry and Cisco, “You need to leave me with him, you need to go, Barry.”

“Iris, I’m not leaving you here with this… this psychopath.”

Iris shakes her head, “That’s not your decision to make. I’m staying.”

Barry doesn’t look like he’s going to budge, though, “He’ll kill you.”

“He’s had me for a week,” Iris responds confidently, “He would never hurt me, Barry. _You_ would never hurt me.”

It takes them a moment, but then Cisco gasps and Barry shakes his head in disbelief.

From behind Barry, Iris sees Killer Frost move, her arm throwing out a sharp icicle at Zoom and Iris moves on instinct.

She barely has time to register the form of Zoom rushing through her body to stop it.

“Don’t!”

He stops a breath from stabbing Killer Frost through, his hand on her throat.

“Barry, please,” Iris says, her heart racing and he looks at her, “Don’t hurt her. Just take me and we can go.”

Barry starts to protest, but Zoom drops Killer Frost, speeds to her, and then they’re gone.

“Iris!”

* * *

“Things need to change.”

Iris watches him, waiting for him to respond, but he doesn’t.

She sets down the glass on the table a little harder than she’d intended to, taking her seat and shifting it closer to him, “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. I know you’re in pain, but every time you hurt or kill other people, you’re doing it to yourself.”

He still says nothing, but he looks at her.

“I know you, Barry, I know your heart - you’re not this monster you’re pretending to be,” she reaches out and touches his wrist, “You’re Barry Allen. And maybe you’re acting this way because you don’t wanna feel the pain, but we both know it’s there.”

“You’re wrong.”

“No I’m not, and you know that,” Iris shifts even closer now, “Tell me about her, tell me how she died. Tell me how you lost her.”

“Iris.”

“And you can cut the menacing voice act, it doesn’t work on me.”

He starts to stand but she motions for him to stay in his seat, keeping his wrist in her hand.

“Barry, you can talk to me,” she says, her tone soft and inviting and she sees his gaze weaken, “I’m yours. I’ll listen.”

Barry looks away and doesn’t say anything for a long time. But Iris waits, she knows this isn’t easy, she doesn’t want to press.

“She was everything to me,” he speaks, voice cracking in a way that’s so characteristically Barry it makes her heart ache, “She was mine… I had her.”

Iris nods, smiling sadly, “And you were married?”

“We were,” he continues, brows tightening together, “She was crying before she was even at the alter. I had to go and console her.”

“That sounds right,” Iris responds and searches his face, “I’ve always wanted a big wedding.”

“It was big,” he confirms, “I never wanted anything like that. But I did it for her. She was so happy,” his gaze turns from reminiscent to one of complete, sheer pain, “I found her body.”

Iris’s eyes widen, her heart racing at the hollow, lost look on his face.

“She was dead, had been for hours,” his voice is so small, “Bled out on the kitchen floor. Even dead, she was more beautiful than…” he shakes his head, tears dripping down his cheeks, “I went to prison for her murder, I had my powers taken from me.”

Iris shakes her head, “I don’t understand, they thought you killed me?”

Barry nods, “They thought a lot of things,” he looks at her, “They came to visit, to try and convince me that I had done it. But no matter what I said, they never believed me.”

“Barry-”

“When I got out…” his lips form a thin line for a moment, his gaze darkening, “There was nothing left.”

“How long were you-”

“Ten years.”

Iris covers her mouth, she can’t imagine what it must have been like for him to go to jail - in the same way his father did on Earth 1 - knowing that the real killer was probably walking free, “I’m… I’m so sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, what’s done is done.”

“Don’t say that,” Iris reaches out to cup his cheeks, “It does matter, it’ll always matter. What they did to you was wrong.”

Barry’s eyes finally meet her’s, “ _Iris_.”

“What they did to you was wrong,” Iris says again, keeping her tone firm, “They may not have believed you, but I do.”

“Why do I always lose you?”

Iris feels her chest constrict and a tear drops down her face, “I’m here right now, aren’t I? You’ve had me here for a while now. Do I look like I’m going anywhere?”

Barry finally pulls back and then he’s Zoom again, “I guess we’ll see about that.”

* * *

They stay in the dank apartment for months.

Yes, months.

Iris doesn’t know what Barry is up to when he’s out and about, but she tries to keep herself entertained when she’s at the place alone. She cleans it, she tries to make it liveable, she even leaves it sometimes and goes shopping.

The first time, she nearly caused Barry to start a murderous rampage. When she arrived back, he was there waiting.

Things had gotten a little nasty, but he finally gave in like he always did.

He finally gets to the point where he really trusts her when he’s gone. And yes, her Earth 1 Barry reaches out from time to time to make sure she’s okay, but she’s insistent. She needs to stay, she needs to help. Zoom has been a tyrant, and if she can fix things with him, she will.

But after telling her about his Iris, Barry pulls back some.

He gets quiet again, he gets angry again, and he gets really distant.

Iris tries to get him to open up, but she finally decides that maybe she needs to open up more about herself.

“When we were younger,” she starts the moment she feels that woosh of air through the kitchen, “We used to walk down this one road all the time.”

She turns to see him standing there and she leans back against the stove, eating her food and chewing slowly, “But sometimes we’d get back late and it’d be really dark. So I’d make you hold my hand. I never told you, but I did it because I was scared. I just pretended like you were so small you’d get lost in the dark.”

He doesn’t respond, walking to her and crossing his arms over his chest.

“Sometimes I would hear you crying in your room,” Iris continued, meeting his eyes, “So I’d talk dad into letting us watch something silly and stupid, and I’d invite you down to try and get your mind off of everything.”

She turns to grab the plate she prepared for him and she offers it.

He doesn’t take it, of course, he’s never eaten in front of her. He’s always on guard around her, never showing any kind of weakness.

“Come on,” Iris smiles, “I know Barry, I know you. You eat all the time, you’re always hungry. It’s not bad food, I’m a pretty good cook.”

She can see his jaw tense, and then he’s gone again.

She’s not surprised, of course, but she’s a little sad that he left in such a hurry. It doesn’t stop her from setting the plate back down and covering it with some plastic wrap. She’ll eat it later.

Once she’s finished eating her own, she goes upstairs to shower and brush her teeth. She ends up cleaning around the rooms a bit, losing track of time before she comes back down. It takes her a moment to notice it, but there it is. The plate on the counter is clean, plastic wrap curled up next to it.

w

It’s a small, simple gesture, but it makes her smile.

* * *

So for the next couple of weeks, she keeps out a plate for him, and she always comes back to find it clean. Every now and then she’ll manage to get a word in or two, tell him some kind of story about them from her childhood.

She’s been patient.

But her patience is starting to wane, and she’s beginning to get frustrated with his stubbornness.

It finally snaps when she’s barely through a story and he starts to leave. She can see the shift in his eyes, the intent to leave just like all the times before and she stops mid-sentence.

“Are you serious?”

Her change in tone takes him by surprise and he stares at her.

“You keep doing this,” she sets her plate down on the counter hard, “I’m alone most of the day. You zip in and out of here like you have better things to do. And I… I just wanna _talk_ to you.”

“You’re not here to talk.”

“Then what am I here for, Barry?”

He growls slightly and she lifts her brows.

“Don’t even start that with me, Barry Allen,” she crosses her arms, “Why am I here? Why keep me here. And yeah, I know I could leave. But I know what it’d result in. I don’t wanna leave, if I did, I would’ve went with Barry.”

Still, he doesn’t say anything.

“Say something!” she shouts, her heart racing, “Stop locking me out! We were getting somewhere, we were talking, and now you’re back to being this stupid, frustrating ‘Zoom persona’ that you try to play off - like I don’t know you’re suffering on the inside.”

She sees his gaze darken.

“When I’m here, Barry,” she pushes him then, hands planted on his chest and he doesn’t flinch, “I’m here, I’m here trying to get through to you.”

She tries to push him again and he grabs her wrists, shoving her back against the wall and crowding her in, his cold jade eyes staring down at her.

Her tears start to spill over, her hands trying to reach out to him, “I know you lost her, but I’m still here. And I’m trying. I still love you, I’ll always love you. I wanna help you.”

Iris’s hands are free finally and she reaches up to pull away the mask herself, dropping it and cupping his cheeks.

“I love you,” she says and she sees the tears on his cheeks, building in his eyes, “I love you, just stay with me, okay? I can help you, I wanna help y-”

His lips press to hers and it’s fast and sudden, his clawed hands grabbing her body and pulling her up. She’s a little thrown off, but she kisses him back, her hands moving up into his soft hair.

He’s a lot harder than her Barry, muscles toned with age, his short beard hairs scratching her skin as his hands push under her shirt.

In a flash, they’re in her room, on her bed. She doesn’t stop him, she’s never been with him but she’ll give him anything he needs. And as much as she’s nervous to admit it to herself, she wants him. She’s wanted him like this for some time.

She’s thankful that he’s slow to remove her clothes, taking his own off and peeling it away like a second skin.

But then there’s his hands, baby soft as always and gentle as he tugs down her panties, the tips of them brushing her clit and causing her to arch her back in surprise.

“Barry,” she breathes out, spreading her legs for him.

He’s so much bigger than her Barry, his shoulders, his pecs, his whole body is tight with muscle. It’s the same strength she recognized when he took her from STAR Labs.

She stares up into his eyes, smiling and wiping his tears away, “My Barry,” she says and she sees his face break a little more, his breath catching in his throat, “You’re my Barry, okay? And I’m your Iris.”

He actually starts crying then, his whole body shaking as he pulls her in, kisses her reverently, “I’m sorry,” he chokes out, dropping his forehead to her chest, “I’m sorry, Iris, I’m sorry.”

His voice sounds so much like it had when he was a kid, crying over his parents.

Iris makes soft cooing sounds, running her nails through his hair, “It’s okay, baby. It’ll be okay, I promise. I’m here.”

She feels his mouth on her chest, on her throat, and then they’re kissing again.

He goes from crying to pressing into her in a heartbeat, his hands pulling her legs up to wrap them around her waist.

Iris smiles up at him and he starts to vibrate wildly before her eyes, “Oh,” she breathes and feels her body respond.

He drops his lips to her breast, the vibrations flowing from him to her and she shudders, eyes widening as she feels the length inside of her doing the same.

And then he stops, the nipple pulling from his mouth as he starts to move his hips, vibrations shaking through every time he pushes back into her.

At first, she thinks it’s just part of how this works, his control slipping, but then she sees the concentration in his eyes and she giggles, “You’re shaking on purpose,” she observes, moaning suddenly when he does it again, “I didn’t even think of how you could use it _this_ way.”

Barry stares into her eyes, she sees them soften and glisten in a way this Barry never has before, “You like it,” he says, his hand feathering vibrations over her clit, “But do you want me to stop?”

“No, no,” she wraps her arms around his neck, her walls clenching around him as she starts to feel her orgasm building, “No, don’t stop doing it. It’s so weird, but it’s you, Barry.”

She smiles when a chuckle escapes him and she keeps her eyes on him when she comes finally, her legs tightening, her breaths escaping. But she fights to keep her eyes open and locked on the man above her. She can see the hunger in his eyes, the _need_.

* * *

Iris opens her eyes and looks up at the ceiling, her whole body aching as she lays in the bed on her back.

It takes her a moment to piece everything together, but then she looks down at the man sleeping in her arms. His cheek on her breast, his breath on her sternum, his arm wrapped around her waist. His hair is messy and in sleep he looks like the same old, gentle Barry that Iris has known and loved.

She runs her nails through the soft tufts, gently massaging his scalp and finally he stirs.

He looks up at her and stares silently.

“Morning sleepy-head,” she says, her voice a little rough, “Look at those beautiful eyes.”

Believe it or not, she sees his cheeks flush and he ducks his head to kiss her soft skin.

“I should be going.”

Iris shakes her head, “You’re not going, Barry,” she says confidently, “Stay with me.”

He starts to argue, but then he stops, leaning into her touch.

“Stay here, stay with me. We can stop everything here. No one has to get hurt.”

Barry opens his eyes again and shakes his head, “You say all of these things, but they’re empty promises. You’re his, you have your Barry. And I’m going to have to pay for everything I’ve done. My Iris is dead.”

“Your Iris is right here,” Iris insists, pushing him onto his back and climbing into his lap, “Everything I’ve told you isn’t empty. I’m his, but I’m also yours.”

“How’s that going to work when he comes back for you?”

Iris tilts her head and shrugs, “He’s you,” she leans down to look into his eyes, “I think you’ve paid enough for what you’ve done.” She touches his chest, “It’s time to start healing.”

He covers her hand and then sits up, “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting…” Iris presses her lips together, suddenly nervous about it, “If you and Barry can agree… to _share_.”

Barry blinks at her and tilts his head, his eyes making that soft look like he’s staring at a kitten, “You would want to do something like that?”

“No Barry should ever be without an Iris.”

“Even if there’s two of us and one of you?”

Iris smiles slowly, “I think I can handle two of you, Mr. Allen.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote this a long ass time ago. Finally posting it to get it out there.


End file.
